Maui Magazine / January-February 2011 / Shooting the Curl

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Shooting the Curl

When Clark Little takes on the big waves, his only gear is a camera—and the rules he lives by.

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 In September 2008, Clark Little quit his job at Wahiawa Botanical Garden, where for sixteen years he had managed twenty-seven quiet acres of rare and endangered plants. His new occupation is considerably more extreme. It takes place inside the evanescent pit that forms when a wave folds over itself as it lands on shore. Attired in fins and a wetsuit or a long-sleeved rash guard and board shorts, Clark documents the spectacular behavior of the shore break.

No one has a more intimate relationship with the subject. While he was coming of age on Oahu’s North Shore, Clark gained notoriety by surfing the perilous, neck-snapping shore break at Waimea Bay, a feat that few surfers are crazy enough to attempt. He now applies his surfing experience to his photography, anticipating the shape the wave will take as it approaches, positioning himself in the right place to get the shot he wants, and relying on instinct to get out of the impact zone.
    
“I was going to the beach after work, taking pictures, wanting to shoot every second I had,” he recalls. But working a “nine-to-five grind” left him little quality time with his wife and two young children, let alone daylight hours to spend in the ocean. With encouragement from friends and family, Clark opted to pursue his new passion full time. He invested $4,000 in a Nikon D200 (replacing the cheap digital camera he’d been using), a professional water housing that safeguards the camera, and a fisheye lens.
    
Starting with basic tips from fellow water photographers—and a lot of trial and error—Clark spent (and still spends) two to six hours in the water each day, deepened his knowledge of how different conditions alter the view. Sunrise and sunset present fabulous colors; a cloudless sky makes for a clean backdrop; and glassy, clear water offers that silky texture that defines many of his most popular images.
    
He also recalibrated his lifestyle, restoring balance among family, work and play. Now, on Saturdays, he can watch his kids play soccer and take pictures of them kicking goals. He visits friends, and jogs around the neighborhood, stopping at a local lunch wagon for a spicy ‘ahi-and-rice plate.
    
“I believe if you never try, you’ll never know,” he says. “When I made the decision to put 110 percent into my passion, the doors totally opened.”